When You Are At the Edge…

This blog is part of Renee’s Loving Leaders email series, where she shares insights and strategies for Leading with Love every week. To receive these reflections directly in your inbox, sign up for the series here.

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Life has a way of continually bringing us to our edge. 

Sometimes it's our personal edge - an uncomfortable conversation, a loss, a financial challenge, a health issue. 

Sometimes it's our professional edge - a mistake, an unwelcome change, a departure leaving a significant gap, a challenging personality, a decision from above we don't agree with but must support and implement. 

Most of us try to avoid spending too much time at the edge where we feel unsafe. But like I said, life consistently takes us back to that precipice of our fear.

And then what? 

Then we either react automatically with avoidance and withdrawal, or harshness and shaming, or with defensiveness and rudeness drawn into that valley of fear.

Or, we choose to respond intentionally with self-awareness and courage, humility and kindness, patience and strength, or inquiry and listening ascending to love.

One is easy to fall into. The other takes effort to pause and choose to step by step ascend, especially if we are triggered by the past. 

But the experience of the climb, the reward of an expansive perspective, the gift of clearer possibilities, and the trust of stronger relationships are worth it.

While climbing in the Olympic National Park a while ago, I tripped on the edge of a path and twisted my ankle. It took my breath away, brought tears to my eyes, and had me crumbled for a few minutes. One minute I'm happily walking along, then next moment I've stumbled at the edge. 

Olympic Mountain Range 

Thankfully I was able to walk it off and continue the hike, which brought us to a spectacular view of the entire Olympic Mountain range to the South as well as views to the Cascade Mountain Range to the East and to Vancouver Island and Whistler in Canada to the North. 

Loving Leader, today if life brings you to your edge, watch so you don't trip! And then instead, choose to ascend with loving mindset and actions.

You'll be glad for the view from there!

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